China extends its influence in Maldives

FACTA

FUTURA

On 14 January 2024, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu asked India to withdraw its military from the archipelago. This comes after he visited China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping on 7-13 January 2024. All 76 Indian soldiers left Maldives in June 2024. The Maldives are strengthening ties with China after President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in 2023.

Both India and China have alternatively vied for influence in the tiny island country, investing heavily in upgrading the Maldives' infrastructure and extending loans to it. The extension of Chinese influence over the Maldives is part of China's strategic initiative to create a network String of Pearls in the Indian Ocean by building military and commercial establishments in order to secure stable and safe supply chains from the Suez Canal and Hormuz Strait to China. India reacts through 'Necklace of Diamonds' strategy, which aims to counter encirclement by expanding its naval bases and is also improving relations with strategically placed countries. If China succeeds politically and diplomatically in subduing key island countries in the Indian Ocean, India will likely react by increasing its naval capabilities and strengthening its role in the QUAD grouping.